Plans to scrap Sunday library opening to save £100K

Hannah Smith

Plans are in place to scrap Sunday opening hours for Leamington and Rugby libraries in the latest cost cutting move to save £100,000 this year.

A public consultation will open next month before a final decision is made by Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet for the future of weekend hours at two of its biggest libraries.

The Sunday closure plan, which also affects Nuneaton Library, hopes to make the required savings with “minimal impact on frontline services and opening hours” across the county.

It would save £54,000 this year, with a further £14,600 planned to come from staff cuts and 31,400 to be made from changes in administration.

The move will not mean changes to weekday hours or the book fund which has been protected.

A county council report states: “To In order to meet this budget reduction, we are proposing to withdraw Sunday opening hours at Leamington, Rugby and Nuneaton Libraries from August 2016.

“These libraries are currently open for four hours on a Sunday. Each library would continue to be open for 50 hours a week from Monday to Saturday.

“Other branches across the county are not open on Sundays and would not be affected by this proposal.”

Over the last four years, the library service has delivered over £2million in savings, with a “complete transformation of the service” including 13 becoming community managed and with a reduction in opening hours and staffing.

Leamington’s library in the Pump Room is open from midday to 4pm on Sundays with an average 306 weekly visitors.

In Rugby, the Little Elborow Street library is open for the same hours and sees an average of 328 visitors in this time.

A public consultation will begin on Monday February 8, and run for six weeks. Staff will also undergo consultation and all responses will forma report to be sent to the council’s cabinet in the summer.